U.S. President Donald Trump plans to sign a bill in the near future that would authorize him to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries purchasing Russian oil and natural gas. A White House official confirmed this to the Kyiv Independent on September 17, one day after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the legislation.
The bipartisan bill, championed by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, gives Trump the authority to levy tariffs of up to 100% on the five largest buyers of Russian oil and natural gas, as well as on five countries found to be helping Moscow circumvent energy sanctions.
The U.S. House of Representatives approved the bill on September 16 by a vote of 262 to 159. The Senate had already passed the measure by a significant majority in early August—less than a month after Senator Graham recovered from an illness contracted after a trip to Ukraine.
Ukraine and Russia’s reaction
Ukraine is closely monitoring the bill’s progress, as Kyiv has been urging Washington to increase economic pressure on Russia. On September 11, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on U.S. lawmakers to pass the document and advocated for decisive personal decisions by President Trump.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated on September 17 that the new U.S. sanctions would complicate efforts to reach a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine. “These are unfriendly actions,” Peskov said.
Who could be affected by the restrictions
If the bill becomes law, its provisions will apply to countries purchasing Russian energy. The largest buyers of Russian oil include China, India, and Turkey, while the primary importers of Russian natural gas are the European Union, China, and Turkey.
The list of targeted countries will be reviewed every 180 days. Nations that import less than 15% of the total volume of Russian natural gas exports and are actively reducing such purchases will be exempt from the tariffs.
In addition to buyers of Russian energy, the bill mandates sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin and other high‑ranking officials, as well as major Russian financial institutions, including the Central Bank of Russia, Sberbank, and Gazprombank, along with Russian state‑owned companies.
The restrictions may also apply to foreign entities that support Russia’s defense industrial base, major Russian energy projects, and Moscow’s so‑called “shadow fleet,” which helps Russia continue oil exports despite Western sanctions.
Source: Kyiv Independent
